NEW CATH LAB: GOOD IDEA

Southeast Missouri Hospital wants to replace one of its cardiac catheterization labs. The hospital has filed a letter of intent with the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee. This application comes on the heels of a similar effort by St. Francis Medical Center -- a request that was opposed by both the Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health and the state committee's own staff.

There were good reasons to support St. Francis' effort to replace aging equipment, and the same good reasons apply to Southeast.

The requests are different in that St. Francis wanted to keep its old lab as a backup. Southeast Hospital doesn't. But the costs of the two new labs are very similar: $1.6 to $1.8 million at Southeast and $1.76 million at St. Francis.

The Business Group on Health plans no active opposition to Southeast's request, saying only that its position is on the record, which shows the group opposes additional cath labs but supports replacement of equipment. The Health Facilities Review Committee should follow suit and approve this application.

While Cape Girardeau's two hospitals must be vigilant about duplication of services, they must also have the latitude to maintain quality equipment and operations. Health care consumers expect no less.